Time and again, human beings get into the habit of imagining their lives more glorious than themselves. Interpreter of Maladies by author Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories about misconceptions. He exploits the universal desire for something greater and, through his characters, creates in each piece a clear deviation between the desired abstract and reality. In each plot, the gap between perception and truth doesn't last long and ultimately results in a subtle personal tragedy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The strongest example of constructing one's own reality is found in "Interpreter of Maladies," the novel's namesake, which further supports the idea that misperception is Lahiri's focus. The Das family, American tourists, take Mr. Kapasi's taxi to go to Indian attractions. The taxi driver quickly becomes obsessed with Mrs. Das, even imagining an entire life with her, all the while ignoring her coldness towards his family. Despite admitting his flaws, even revealing that one of his children is the result of an affair, he continues to fantasize about her. “In those moments Mr. Kapasi believed that all was well in the world…” (Lahiri 56); Lahiri's purposes use the word “believe”: he does not know, he does not understand, but he believes. Having only faith means building a reality that doesn't actually exist. There's no chance they have a future together, but it's nice for him to imagine it. He's disappointed but does nothing when she doesn't even notice that the paper containing his contact information floats away in the wind, erasing the potential for a future together. Then there is Mr. Das, who is infatuated with India, but only the best parts. He is excited to explore his homeland for the first time. On a road, he tells Mr. Kapasi to pull over because he wants to "frame this guy" (Lahiri 49), an emaciated drifter, but does nothing to help the man in any way. By treating the situation so casually, he capitalizes on the poor man's struggle in the name of what he imagines a developing foreign country should look like for the sake of his memories. Later, he is still too distracted by his camera to notice his son being attacked by monkeys. It is only when Mrs. Das screams during the attack that Mr. Das is brought back to the brutal reality of the situation and then agrees to return to the hotel immediately, too shocked to really speak or act; he did not see India's problems until they touched him personally. The obliteration of these men's false realities, meant to console them, shocks them, as Lahiri leaves no solution. In the story "Sexy," a young woman deludes herself about what it means to be a lover. Miranda, alone and new to Boston, is thrilled when a handsome, cultured, married man pays attention to her. She fully embraces the role of lover, going so far as to “buy herself things she thought a lover should have” (Lahiri 92). Consider their romantic relationship, while genuinely lustful, to consist largely of regularly scheduled sexual adventures. The illusion is completely shattered when a child calls her "sexy" - a word she once treasured when Dev called her that - when she models her unworn "mistress" outfit. Miranda is shocked and further annoyed by the boy who defines "sexy" as "loving someone you don't know", highlighting the illegitimacy of Dev and Miranda's relationship. From that moment on she stops seeing him, ignoring his calls, because the appearance of a relationship is no longer comforting. Lahiri uses “This Blessed House” to draw attention to the.